Wednesday, January 31, 2007

I recently interviewed artist Salvador Flores. Mr. Flores is a Mexican architect who studied art with Leiton, one of the most influential artists in the North Mexico.

His style is inspired by geometric abstraction, Surrealism, and Minimalism. Kandinsky, Hans Arp, Paul Klee, and Latin American Surrealists have all impacted Salvador's art.

As a lover of the Surrealists, Flores images are like a journey through the intangible world. The artists' motivations come from the unknown, or rather from the imperceptible: the relation of heaven and earth; good and evil; spirit and soul.

As far as Salvador's style is concerned, the artist described his own technique as 'controlled experimentation' which involves the search for balance between colour and texture.

Q. When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "I began to paint miniature drawings when I was 7 years old. A carpenter who was my neighbor framed my works in a postcard size, and my mother sold all of them. At that moment, I realized that I wanted to do it for the rest of my life."

Q. How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

A. "I have found that all of us have experienced good and bad times in life, and my work is a reflection of that. "Cicatrices" was my first professional artwork, and its title means a lot. It is a Spanish word that means "scars"; however, its verb "cicatrizar" means "to heal". This simple word involves this interaction between being hurt and being healed. Although I express the pain through my art, I desire to offer a hope to the human being."

Q. On average, how long does it take you to create a piece?

A. "It depends on the medium and the theme. I have created paintings in four hours. In contrast, I have been working for six months on a piece that I have not finished yet."

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "My art is instinctive. I simply feel the moment when it is the time to do it. Then I take my brushes and start my work. Also, listening to music is very helpful. Some of my paintings are inspired by music. There are rhythms that produce dynamic strokes, while soft songs suggest quiet landscapes."

Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

Q. Do you have a degree or do you plan to attend school for art? If so, how did it help you as an artist?

A. "I have a degree in architecture in Mexico. As an architect, many of my symbols are constructed by lines, squares and other geometric shapes that many times evoke buildings. Therefore, I have called my style Geometric Abstraction. On the other hand, the technique that I have learned in art classes has made my art more suggestive and rich."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. "I follow the rule of opposites. I experiment with mediums of adverse nature, such cold-warm, light-shadow, etc. I believe that each work demands its own technique, and they are unique."

Q. Where can we see more of your art?

A. "You can go to www.londonart.co.uk or email me ian_2in@yahoo.com"

Q. In one sentence... why do you create art?

A. "To teach."

Q. What can you tell our readers about the art scene in your area?

A. "I consider that Latin American art is in a good moment, and the world is recognizing the talent of our artists. Mexico was a center of art and culture for centuries. Furthermore, there are Mexican artists who are innovating and producing magnificent works. Artists like Felguérez are developing new ways to create art. It is our opportunity to show our artwork to the world, and be considered a talented nation."

Q. Does religion, faith, or the lack thereof play a part in your art?

A. "My artwork is predominantly in colors blue and red-violet for their spiritual meaning. "City on a Hill" was created for a friend of mine, and it is an abstraction of a bible teaching. The yellow sky means the light that cannot be hidden, and the violet gives that spiritual sense. The geometric shapes are buildings representing the city, and they are floating simulating the elevation of the hill. It was a personal interpretation of a lesson that I learned during my younger years."

I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with Salvador Flores. Feel free to critique or discuss his work.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

I recently interviewed artist Heidi Taillefer. Heidi's work has been featured in numerous publications (She was featured in Juxtapoz Magazine). She is known for the 'mechanical' overtones that can be observed in her work.

Heidi's body of work offers great insight into how technology can cause us to sacrifice our humanity. In a sense, she paints a landscape full of characters and creatures that are in constant conflict with their natural state of being and the technological advances that intrude upon their environment.

Her recent work contains a degree of mystery and enchantment. These elements combine in a form of symbolic fusion- a visual documentation of Heidi's spiritual wandering and cultural experiences.

Heidi is best known for having designed the internationally recognized image of "Dralion" for the Cirque du Soleil. She has exhibited her paintings throughout North America, and her work is collected internationally.

Brian Sherwin: Heidi, a major theme in your work is how we dehumanize ourselves through the use of technology. Why do you take such a strong stance on this topic? We live in a society that relies on computers, cell phones, and other forms of communication technology... are you concerned that we are loosing 'true' communication due to this? Is that reflected in your work?

Heidi Taillefer: My stance on technology reflects concerns with the detrimental effects of technology on society and the environment. Technology as a whole is not bad, civilisation was built on innovative advancements, and of course it helps improve the quality of our lives. But technological development is outpacing human evolution on many levels.

First and foremost is technology's impact on the environment, which is unquestionalby an issue these days. We also have certain features which are particular to our animal, namely our social requirements. These are being largely supplanted by technology and that can lead to a greater sense of isolation and depression. In past surveys taken across cultures, it appeared that the more developed nations suffered mostly from depression, whereas the simpler or more "primitive" cultures seemed to rank happiest of all. (The tribespeople of New Guinea are apparently among the happiest communities).

It is true that communication is facilitated by technology , but communities shrink as well, and our primal being was designed for a more social integration, not connection through the intermediary of machines.

The cost of convenience is sterility, and it is important to sustain a healthy balance between the two. On the physical level, technology brings tremendous gains, but there is also the scare of Frankenstinian applications of technology, the development of which could very well go beyond human wisdom and understanding.

BS: Heidi, your work is known for its 'mechanical' overtones and symbolic fusion of elements. What directed you toward this style of work?

HT: I originally rendered everything as mechanical during my adolescence, it was an obcession with mechanism, and it had an edgy appeal, but was one of lifes jolts which shifted the work into a symbolic direction.

BS: Heidi, can you give us more details about your artistic vision and how it has expanded through the years? Where do you see your work taking you in the future?

HT: My artistic vision, apart from its independent origin, is shaped by an openess to what I see or hear around me. Its hard to see what you're doing without the benefit of hindsight, so until time allows you to distance yourself from your work, you can't see as clearly what "mistakes" you're making in art. Unless that perspective is challenged in a constructive way, which you have to allow, its easy to stay the course.

Personally, I often get bored with my own work, and find it hard to continue happily when I feel it is getting too formulaic, so I struggle for some sort of evolution within the confines of my artistic voice.

The greatest satisfaction for me is that moment of revelation when you happen upon a novel idea, when you hit a target you couldn't see in the first place, and which doesn't technically even exist to begin with. Thats the reward of creativity, the Eureka moment.

BS: People have said that you are best known for having designed the internationally recognized image of "Dralion" (image above) for the Cirque du Soleil. Care to share any experiences you had creating that piece?

HT: The production of that illustration was one of the most challenging and exciting projects I have ever worked on. The Cirque du Soleil pushes you to your limits by placing seemingly impossible demands and deadlines on you, while being among the most gracious and pleasant people to work with.

The submission drawing which had been accepted and then rendered in color was, upon presentation to the executive body of the Cirque (Guy Laliberte) summarily rejected as being utterly irrelevant to the show. Since I had been directed by three art directors, this came as a shock, and it was asked that I be left alone to interpret the show my way, without any interference from the agency or even the Cirque art director.

I had total freedom on an advertising piece, not something you see very often. Guy Laliberte supervised the progress from time to time, and basically directed the project directly, which was the best strategy in the end. But I also had that much less time to finish the image before the press junket, so I worked 20 hours a day for 8 days straight. Since then I have been regularity involved with the Cirque in some way.

BS: Heidi, in your youth you had private art lessons. It seems that a lot of children and teens are held back from their creativity due to school programs that do not take art that seriously. What advice can you give to parents or educators who wish to strengthen art programs in their schools? Do you consider yourself to be an advocate for art education?

HT: Art is of fundamental importance in the development of a mind, it exercises faculties which are applicable in so many areas other than art. Creativity and innovaton are what separated us from the other animals in the first place, and it has been the key to our survival, from the most minute situation to the most global. I think to eliminate art programs in school does a huge disservice to kids, who need to exercise lateral modes of thinking , especially during such a crucial stage of development.

Maybe one solution to either time or budget constraints would be to incorporate creativity into programs which follow a more linear approach. If there were some way to underline the creative activity which takes place in sports, or science, or whatever program, by challenging kids to find solutions, then maybe the absence of actual art programs can be reconciled in some way.

BS: Heidi, you have been featured in Juxtapoz Magazine. Many artists consider that to be a major accomplishment. How did you feel about it? Care to share any details of that experience?

HT: I was thrilled to finally have a piece done on my work in the magazine. They have so much they can cover, from so many talented artists, that it can take a very long time before your turn comes up. I had waited a couple of years actually, and in the end the timing of the article coincided perfectly with an exhibition which was being held in California at the time. Someone at Touchstone Studios then saw the article, and requested that one of the images he saw be included in an upcoming episode of "Dirt".

BS: Heidi, did you ever expect your work to be so successful?

HT: As self-inflated as this sounds, I did expect to be successful in what I'm doing, but mostly because I can be stubborn and hard-headed, or determined if it is to be put a better way.

I had a true belief in becoming successful in art, although I am so much more critical of my work now, that I have no idea how it got anywhere in the first place. It goes to show the importance of youthful naivete and impetuousness – I had been given "motherly advice" by a gallery owner upon starting out, not to become an artist, and even my own father who had made me believe I could do anyting tried to advise me against it when I decided it was the path I wanted to take.

I have a collage painting I did made up of so many rejection letters I received over the years, with larger block-letters cut out in the style of an extortion letter, demanding $10,000 or the painting would get it.

BS: When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

HT: After a bad working experience as a waitress in the Yukon. From then on I decided I wanted to work for myself, and I slowly realised art (initially illustration) was the thing which would allow me to do this.

BS: Heidi, on average, how long does it take you to create a piece?

HT: Anywhere from a few days for a five by seven inch piece, to one or two months for a five by seven foot piece.

BS: What was your most important exhibition? Care to share that experience?

HT: My most important exhibition experience...that's hard to say because each one (solo show that is) has had some major impact somehow, either through the attendance of important people, or sales, or visibility.

In 2004 there was a huge blowout event for an exhibition of my work, which garnered enough sales as to seemingly prompt the gallery to change the diretion of what they were showing. It appeared that edgier art was a viable sell in the market they cater to, so they have gone in the direction of the lowbrow genre, with L Autre Gallerie.

In 2005 I had a show of experiemental work at the world headquarters of the Cirque du Soleil, where I was later invited to give a private tour of the somewhat large and complex exhibition to Bono and a few of his band members.

BS: Heidi, do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

HT: I listen to anything that fits my mindset for the moment, from talk radio to movie soundtracks, or a very ecclectic array of musical genres. I am almost always in the mood for working, but there are so many other things I'd like to do as well, that at times it becomes a struggle to focus on just painting.

BS: Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

HT: I began with watercolor as a child, then by the age of 20 I clumsily moved to acrylics. It was later on suggested to me that I try oil painting, which I began by the age of 27. They are all so different, and it was very funny to see the initial struggle to transition from each one.

BS: Heidi, are you represented by a gallery? Do you have any upcoming exhibits?

HT: I am represented by Thompson Landry gallery in Toronto, and Yves Laroche (L Autre Gallery) in Montreal. My next show is scheduled for May 2006 at Thompson Landry in Toronto.

BS: Heidi, what was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

HT: The toughest point was probably around 2001, when things appeared to be going askew, but in retrospect were just realigning themselves. Everything seemed to go wrong, I'd move to a new studio space and discover I had to leave 6 months after settling in, then money would be tight and things would break down, illulstration clients would either default on payments or it was a nightmare chasing after money owed. All the while I'd hear from someone I had done work for from time to time, and for a couple of years he kept asking what I was doing with my art. I said I was busy doing illustration, and he kept reminding me that time flies, and that I was neglecting something very important by not focusing on it 100%.

I decided to move away from illustration, in part because of all the mysterious problems I was having logistically, and it was the best thing I could have done. Everything happens for a reason -including breaking my painting arm way out in the northwest corner of India.

BS: In one sentence... why do you create art?

HT: To understand myself and life.

BS: Heidi, does religion, faith, or the lack thereof play a part in your art?

HT: I'd say that as of today, there is a philosophical or spiritual role in my art for sure. I used to be a staunch atheist, back when I did the more mechanical images, but as my perspective changed so did the work, as well as my circumstances funnily enough.

I admit to having always been interested in the mysteries of the occult, but I'd say if you decide to acknowledge that there is some weird element which weaves itself through the fabric of life, and trust that it's intentions are good, and be observant of what is around you, and take heed of the helpful things and messages given to you through either the advice of a friend or some random tidbit, and be patient, then I'd say one could find evidence of something bigger than what appears on the surface.

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the 'art world'?

HT: My art is a meditation, a confrontation, and an exorcism all in one, a method by which I come to understand myself, everything and everyone around me. I am deeply concerned with growth, evolution, and the purpose and impact of our existence. I think harmony is the new rebellion, although I do throw myself into situations which challenge me past the point of reasonable equilibrium at times. I think this is how I confront deeper and darker issues, which force me to tease out and resolve fundamental questions, through painting.

You can learn more about Heidi Taillefer by visiting her website--www.heiditaillefer.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews. Heidi is involved with the beinArt International Surreal Art Collective.

Monday, January 29, 2007

I recently interviewed artist Angela Guess. Angela's work explores the human condition, from the exhilarating heights of anticipation, to acknowledging the vulnerability of the universal fear of having a weakness called frailty.

Through the use of oils, Angela captures the betrayal and ecstasy of emotion that we sometimes become tongue tied in discussing in oral form. In a sense, her work is about communication beyond the spoken word.

Q. When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "When I was in the 4th grade, my teacher was assigning everyone a task to do in the classroom. When it was my turn, I attempted to say 'art', but I couldn't say my R's, so she asked the class what I was saying. No one could figure it out."

Q. How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

A. "I believe that society is born in the family. How could it be otherwise? Even an orphan struggles to define their identity; whether or not society has been good to them. In every step I take, whether painting or just breathing, society has huge implications on my every attitude. I am constantly attempting to define, decipher any implications or confusions I run across. It is usually gratifying but sometimes just mystifying."

Q. On average, how long does it take you to create a piece?

A. "Sometimes, I can enter the world immediately, like the wardrobe closet in Narnia, and other times, it's like pulling from dark sanctums that haven't seen light in 30 years."

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "Absolutely, but I feel like I'm being adulturous if I give it away."

Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

A. "Someone who is not afraid to take chances, someone who knows what they are looking for, and are willing to discover what they might find; whatever that may be."

Q. Discuss one of your pieces. What were you thinking when you created it?

A. ""Inferno" (image above) I used to live in San Diego a few years before the devastating fires. I lived across the street from where I found the charred remains of structures, plants and I collected the ash and incorporated them into my paintings. Not all of them, just two. But, it was a profound effect, I had many beautiful, soul wrenching memories in those charred remains."

Q. Do you have a degree or do you plan to attend school for art? If so, how did it help you as an artist?

A. "I graduated from U.C.S.D. in literature/writing; but my first major was visual arts. I changed for personal reasons, but I always had an art class on my roster; I knew that was where I belonged."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. " I chose oil because it is the most fluent. I have a problem in oral fluency myself, so I express myself in oil. I find it to be the most vibrant, spectacular way to get everything out. If someone wants to know what's going on inside of me, it is through my work."

Q.Where can we see more of your art?

A. "My website http://www.angelaguess.com/ "

Q. What galleries have you exhibited in? Can you provide links to their sites?

A. "I have exhibited in Slow Art in NYC, and World Contemporary Art in Hollywood, CA."

Q. Can you further discuss the philosophy behind your work?

A. "I create art because it is what I was meant to do. I pick up the world around me, around the cosmos and I create art in order to express what I have deciphered. Sometimes I get lucky and I just know what I am supposed to be doing, and other times I struggle with negativity and confusion. I am one of the lucky ones who get to hear, who get to spar with the spirits. If you look at my website, you will see more eloquently how I work."

Q. Does religion, faith, or the lack thereof play a part in your art?

A. "My art is consumed with the spiritual world. I have a keen sense of the spiritual world around us, but it is not religious."

I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with Angela Guess. Feel free to critique or discuss her work.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

I recently interviewed artist Dennis Flynn. Due to his schedule the interview was brief. Mr. Flynn has taught art in various colleges including Minneapolis College of Art and Design, University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Idaho. He has been an art educator and advocate for decades.

Mr. Flynn has exhibited widely in the United States and abroad including Ljubljana and Colombia. He was invited to represent the United States in the Florence, Italy, Biennial of Contemporary Art. Museum collections include San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Art Institute of Chicago and Minneapolis Art Institute.Q. When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "I have always been an artist. My first teacher was my grand-father who taught me to draw horses in crayon side by side with him on the floor in a "ledger-book style. He was part Indian, a cowboy who drove horses across Minnesota when he was younger from North Dakota to Wisconsin."

Q. How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

A. "Society influences my art in that I am aware of ongoing history and in a way can comment on that."

Q. On average, how long does it take you to create a piece?

A. "I normally paint on a canvas for about one month."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. "Acrylic on canvas seems the most reasonable media for my art.

Q. Does religion, faith, or the lack thereof play a part in your art?

A. "Religion doesn't except that I have been interested in Buddhism as a philosophy for a long time."

I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with Dennis Flynn. Feel free to discuss his work. I'd like to personally thank Mr. Flynn for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

I recently interview artist Shona Macdonald. Shona has exhibited widely and has been featured in Art in America, ARTnews, and New American Paintings. Her work uses the visual language of drawing and painting to expand on the semiotic similarities between maps and fractals. This allows her work to address issues of place, location, memory and land.

Shona is an assistant professor of art at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she teaches Drawing, Painting, and advises undergraduate and graduate students.

Q. When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "I can't remember a time as an adult that it wasn't. I guess that means it's always been important."

Q. How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

A. "Art is a way of sifting through what society dishes out at you, good and bad, I think of it the other way around, art helps me think about how to navigate society."

Q. On average, how long does it take you to create a piece?

A. Months... sometimes more of this time is spent on research and trying out thing, etc, than actually making it. So much of what artists do is hidden."

Q. Can you share some of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

A. "I don't think its romantic, I think its a lot of hard day-to-day work. The deeper-wrought philosophical meanings are in the work and I don't like to spell them out."

Q. Has your art ever been published?

A. "Yes. Art in American, ARTnews, Harpers, New American Paintings."

Q. What was your most important exhibition? Care to share that experience?

A. "Solo drawing survery show in 2005 at the Chicago Cultural Center. It was so good to see six years of work together in one space."

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. " Guilt helps me get in the mood for working. No real rituals, except I just got an I-pod which is proving very useful as I don't have to keep stopping to wash my hands in order to chage a cd. I just set it on shuffle."Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

A. " I don't know, I've only met one couple in Northern California, and I can't judge everyone by them!"

Q. Discuss one of your pieces. What were you thinking when you created it?

A. " ISLES #4, a drawing, I was thinking about travel, memory, and place."

Q. Do you have a degree or do you plan to attend school for art? If so, how did it help you as an artist? What can you tell us about the art department that you attended?

A. "Yes, I have two degrees. A BFA from Glasgow School of Art in Scotland and an MFA from UIC in Chicago. They helped in pragmatic ways providing: studio space, a community of students, etc. They were polar opposites from each other. Glasgow was traditional, figurative, UIC was conceptual, minimalist."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. "I seem to have an affinity for them that I don't seem to have for anything else I've tried."

Q. Are you represented by a gallery? Do you have any upcoming exhibits?A. "Yes. I have an upcoming solo show at Den Contemporary in October 2007."

Q. What galleries have you exhibited in? Can you provide links to their sites?

A. "So many by now. They're all listed on my resume at my website."

Q. What trends do you see in the 'art world'?

A. "I don't know, I don't think about trends. I can barely make it through the Sunday NY Times, let alone art magazines!I find as an artist, I look at my life and my teaching and my location and think about those things. I'm a mother too, so I simply don't have the time to think about trends right now. I used to, and all it did was upset me because I always felt 'un-trendy'!

Q. Any tips for emerging artists?

A. "Get a studio as soon as you leave art school. Spend a lot of time in there developing a new body of work outside of academia, I mean really on your own. Then talk to other artists, form groups with other artists so you can visit each others studios, etc. Have an apartment show, don't wait around for galleries to come to you. If the work gets made and is good, you'll then have the confidence to approach a gallery, if that's what you want."

Q. What was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

A. "The whole of grad school was terrible for me, couldn't get the work together. Its actually been remarkable steady and healthy since then."

Q. In one sentence... why do you create art?

A. "I love doing it and wouldn't know what else to do with my brain and hands if I dind't."

Q. Has politics ever entered your art?

A. "Not party politics.

Q. Does religion, faith, or the lack thereof play a part in your art?

A. "Not directly, I don't rule anything out though. I'm interested in the sublime, for example which is a kind of faith.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the art world'?

A. "Not really. Thanks for the interview

I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with Shona Macdonald. Feel free to critique or discuss her work.

Friday, January 26, 2007

I recently interviewed artist Ken Fandell. Mr. Fandell resides in Chicago where he is an instructor at the Chicago Art Institute. He is well-known for his photography, installation, and video work. Ken often raises questions about frustration, art history, hobbies, high and low culture, perfection, failure, ambition, and alienation with his work.

Q. When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "Maybe freshman year in college, during philosophy class. But I crises after that where I decided it wouldn't."

Q. How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

A. "Many, definelty not all, but many come directly out of social interactions and interpretations of communication with people. It's more of a act locally version of social implications.."

Q. On average, how long does it take you to create a piece?

A. "Some pieces have taken 5 years ("The Planets" video cycle) and some have take 5 minutes from shooting to finishing ("This is Sort of Happening all the Time") "

Q. Can you share some of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

A. "Art should be akin to conversation. It should come off in a way similar to how someone communicates throughout their lives."

Q. What was your most important exhibition? Care to share that experience?

A. "My first solo show in San Francisco. Just good vibes all around and I was really happy with the pieces."

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "I need to do every other thing imaginable for like a day before I can actually get to work in the studio. Read, download music, clean my space, go running, shop for groceries, write emails, look at porn, do email interviews, etc... before I actually get to work. Then I like to work for like a week straight."

Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

A. "I don't know enough of them. They are usually interested in conceptual practice, but also have a strong aesthetic sensibility. They're also often large law firms or banks."

Q. Discuss one of your pieces. What were you thinking when you created it?

A. "A recent piece is a photograph of a woman that's displayed twice - one version is flipped or backwards. Her expression is impenetrable and it reminded me about the impossibility for us to truly know or understand things in general, but especially through images. I think this is sort of scary, a little sad, but also exciting and powerful."

Q. Where did you obtain your college degree?

A. "I have a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. "Each piece I make I think hard about what medium it should be in. The main question usually is should it be a sculpture or photograph/video (I think of them as the same). Usually it comes down to am I talking about the thing itself, its presence and your physical relation to it or am I talking about how things are represented and what issues that representation brings up."

Q. What galleries have you exhibited in? Can you provide links to their sites?

A. "Howard House in Seattle, Bodybuilder and Sportsman in Chicago, Traywick Contemporary in Berkeley, Suite 106 in NY, Donald Young in Chicago, Bronwyn Keenan in NY,... You can find links for each fairly easily through google. Some are linked to on my website."

Q. What trends do you see in the 'art world'?

A. "The art world is so pluralistic and inclusive at this point trends are sort of irrelevant."

Q. Any tips for emerging artists?

A. "Make up your own way of doing things, don't ever let up making your work and don't ever let up trying to get it out there."

Q. What was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

A. "When I lived in LA, hadn't had show in over a year, hated my day job, couldn't get a teaching job, and felt like all my friends a) hated me, b) were very successful themselves, and c) hated me even more because I wasn't succesuful."

Q. In one sentence... why do you create art?

A. "To see things that aren't already out there and to communicate complex feelings and thoughts about thing I have but am not confident in verbalizing."

Q. What can you tell our readers about the art scene in your area?

A. "Chicago. It's a supportive small art scene that looks outside of itself a lot."

Q. Is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the 'art world'?

A. "I love the art world. Especially when my work seems to be fitting in or at least part of the conversation. I hate the art world. Especilly when my work seems not to be fitting in or be part of the conversation."

I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with Ken Fandell. Feel free to critique or discuss his work.